Top for receptacles.



W. G. KENDALL.

TOP FOR RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1913.

Patented Apr. 113, 1915.

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wi/bneooao 1AM Gr. KENDALL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TOP FOR BECEJPTACLES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Application filed November 15, 1913. Serial No. 801,234.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. KENDALL, citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tops for Beceptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in covers or caps for cans or other receptacles, the object of my invention being the provision of a sifter cap for toilet powder cans or bottles, although it will be understood that the cap may be used upon receptacles employed for other purposes with equal efficiency.

A further object of my invention is to provide a can cap having a plurality of discharge openings or perforations and a perforated plate supported for rotation against the inner face of the cap and. movable to bring its perforations into and out of alinement with the perforations of the cap to permit the discharge ofpowder through the cap or to cut ed the passage of powder as the case may be.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a spring for normally holding the discharge controlling plate in position to prevent the passage of powder through the cap and to so mount this spring in the cap that it may be adjusted in tension.

In order to operate the discharge controlling plate, the plate is provided with a tongue which extends radially through the side of the cap and in this connection a still further object of my invention is to provide means for preventing leakage of powder through the slot in which this tongue moves. And a still further object of my invention is to so form the openings or perforations in the discharge controlling plate, with respect to those in the cap, that the openings in the cap will be successively uncovered during movement of the plate until at the limit of the opening of the plate all of the openings will be uncovered to permit free passage of powder. This construction permits the,

discharge of small quantities of powder throu h one or two openings while the remain er of the openings remain closed and is therefore of considerable importance.

With these and other-objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and then specifically pointed out in the claims circular in shape. The fl ange of t is a similar view, showing the cap upon a bottle; Fig. 3 is a vertical, central sectional v1ew showing the details of cap construction; Fig. 4 is a, perspective view of the cap and of the sliding plate forming a part of the cap, the plate in this figure being removed from the cap proper; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the cap with the closure plate in closed position; Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the plate in open position, and further showing a modified form of plate controlling spring; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the cap removed illustrating the plate in partially open position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

The preferred embodiment of my invention, includes a cap 10 having a threaded flange or collar 11 and top 12. This cap is adapted for threaded engagement about the threaded discharge neck 13 of a powder can 14: or bottle 15, as the case may be. It will of course be clear, however, that the flange of the cap may be unthreaded and the neck of the container also unthreaded, the cap being then secured in place only through frictional engagement of the closely fitting neck and flange. In other words, the manner of attaching the cap to the container is immaterial tothe present invention.

The top of the cap is provided with a plurality of discharge openings or perforations 16, concentrically arran ed and referably e cap 1mmediately below its top is provided with a slot 17 lying in a plane parallel to that of the top of the cap. At spaced intervals from one end of this slot, the flange is outstruck to provide two or more interiorly formed, vertically disposed seats 18, the purpose of which will be later explained.

More specifically, my present invention consists in the provision of a discharge controlling plate 19 for regulating the discharge of powder through the perforations of the cap proper. This plate is circular in shape and equal in diameter to the interior di-- ameter of the cap top, being rotatably mounted in the cap top by a rivet 20'or other lid suitable fastening device passed through the center of the top and plate. The plate is provided at one side with an integrally formed arcuate extension which, before applying the plate to the cap, is bent downwardly to provide a shield flange 21. The intermediate portion of this flange is slitted to define a tongue 22 which is bent at right angles to the main body of the flange to pass through the slots 17 of the cap and one edge of which is then bent upwardly as shown at 23 to form a more convenient finger piece by means of which the plate 19 may be turned. One end portion of this flange 21 is cut away or freed from the plate 19 and bent inwardly over the lower surface of the plate and then rebent to form a U-shaped spring retaining member 21. A'U-shaped leaf spring 25 has one end rebent outwardly as at 26 to engage the spring retaining member 24 and its opposite end curved outwardly as at 27 to engage in one or the other of the seats 18, the spring throughout its entire length bearing by its upper edge against the lower face of the plate 19. It will of course be apparent that this spring 25 serves at all times to hold the plate with its operating tongue 22 at one end of the slot 17 and that when the plate is swung to .any other position against the action of this spring and then released, the spring will immediately return it to its original position.

The plate 19 is provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged spaced openings or perforations 28, each of which is adapted to register with one of the perforations 16 of the cap top when the plate is turned as far as possible against the action of the spring 25. As clearly shown in the drawing, the perforations 28 are not circular in shape, but are slightly elliptical or eggshaped. Furthermore, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, these perforations are so arranged with respect to the perforations 16 of the cap top that upon turning movement of the plate, the perforations thereof will be successively brought into alinement with the corresponding perforations in the cap top. Because of this arrangement, any desired number of the perforations in the cap top may be exposed and the supply of powder, which will be dis? charged from the can, accordingly limited. At the same time, when the plate has been turned as far as permitted by movement of the tongue in the slot 17, the perforations in the plate will all be in alinement with their corresponding perforations in the cap top.

If desired, the rotating plate 19 may be made of resilient metal in which case the flange 21 may be greatly lengthened at one end to in itself form the controlling spring 29 shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. This however, is not the preferred construction as it is difiicult to obtain sheet metal suitable for the plate construction which will possess suflicient resiliency to provide a durable spring.

' Inasmuch as the leaf spring 25 is frictionally engaged in the spring holding member 24: at one end and its other end is held against downward movement by engaging in the seat 18, it will be apparent that this spring in itself acts to support the plate 19 in proper position. In fact,the support thus afforded, in addition to that offered by the tongue 22, is, in some instances, sufficient for all practical son the rivet 2?) may be omitted from the construction if deemed advisable. The provision of two or more seats18 is of considerable importance as it permits tensioning of the spring from time to time as it becomes weakened through use. The shield flange 21, at all times, covers all portions of the slots 17, except that through which the tongue 22 passes and all escape of powder through the slot is therefore prevented.

While I have illustrated a can cap in all its details, it will of course be understood that I do notwish in any way to limit myself to the specific details of construction illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time, if desired, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A sifter cap for cans including a perforated top and an integral collar for attachment to the can, a plate mounted for turnlng movement in the cap and provided with perforations movable into and out of alinement with the perforations of the cap, the collar being provided with a plurality of spaced seats, a tongue carried by the plate and extending through a slot in the collar to provide means for turning the plate and also to limit the amount of such turning, and a spring carried by the plate and engaging by one end in one of the seats.

2. A sifter cap for cans including a perforated top and an integral collar for attachment to the can, a plate mounted for turning movement in the cap and provided -with perforationsmovable into and out of alinement with the perforations of the cap, the collar being provided with a plurality of spaced seats, a tongue carried by the plate and extending through a slot in the collar to provide means for turning the plate and also to limit the amount of such turning, and a U-shaped leaf spring carried by the plate and engaging by one end in one of said seats, said spring engaging throughout its entire length by one edge against the plate.

purposes and for this rea- 8. A sifter cap for cans including a perforated top and an integral collar for attachment to the can, the collar being provided with outstruck portions forming interior seats and with a slot, a plate mounted for turning movement in the cap and provided with perforations movable into and out of alinement with the perforations of the cap, a downbent extension carried by the plate and bearing against the collar to cover the slot therein, an outstruck tongue formed from the extension and projecting through the slot, and a U-shaped leaf spring detachably engaging by one end with the extension and. at its other end in one of the seats.

4. A sifter cap for cans including a perforated top and an integral collar for attachment to the can, said collar being formed with a slot and with an outstruck seat spaced from the slot, a perforated plate mounted for turning movement in the cap and having a tongue extending through the slot, shield flanges carried by the plate and bearing against the collar to close the slot, one of said shield flanges having a free terminal bent inwardly over the lower face of the plate and rehent upon itself to provide a spring engaging member, and a U-shaped leaf spring having one end rebent to detachably engage the spring retaining member and having its opposite end bent outwardly to engage in one of the seats.

5. A sifter cap for cans including a top provided with a concentric series of perforations, a plate mounted for turning movement in the cap and provided with a concentric series of perforations, each corresponding to one of the perforations of the top and movable into alinement therewith,

the perforations of the plate being so formed and spaced that during movement of the plate such perforations will be brought successively into alinement with their corresponding perforations of the top.

6. A sifter cap for cans including a top provided with a concentric series of perforations, a plate mounted for turning movement in the cap and provided with a concentric series of perforations, each corresponding to one of the perforations of the top and movable into alinement therewith, the perforations of the plate being so formed and spaced that during movement of the plate such perforations will be brought successively into alinement with their corresponding perforations of the top, the perforations of the plate being larger than those of the top, whereby in one position, all of the openings of the plate will aline with all of the openings of the top.

7. A 'sifter cap for cans including a top provided with a plurality of circular discharge openings, a plate mounted for turn ing movement upon the inner face of the top and provided with a plurality of elliptical or eggshaped openings larger than the openings of the top, means for normally holding the plate in position to close the openings of the top, and means for turning the plate to successively bring its openings into registration with those of the top.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. KENDALL. [L.S.]

Witnesses:

Dr. NICHOLAS S. RAMOS, FREDERICK M. BOLLES. 

